A Heart Made New

The Bliss Creek Amish
Kelly Irvin
2012
Harvest House Publishers
Fiction/Christian/Amish

Reviewed by Cindy Loven

Annie Shirack has loved David Plank since they were kids, but his illness is driving a huge wedge between them, in fact he has decided that it is best for them to not see each other.  That way if he dies Annie won't be left a young widow.  This makes Annie so upset, she feels like he is not giving it a chance.  With the death of her parents and still living in her childhood home, she feels like she is an extra weight on her older brother Luke, and his wife Leah.  Leah is always complaining that Annie is not helping enough around the house, but she works in town at the bakery with David's mom and gives her money to Luke to help with expenses.  A fateful day when a desperate young man walks into the bakery and pulls a gun, throws Annies' entire world into an upheaval.  The young man is caught and taken to jail, leaving a girlfriend living in their van with their little three year old daughter.  Annie takes them home, certain that helping someone in need is what she is to do. 
What I loved about this book:  Kelly Irvin is a wonderful storyteller and she brings these characters to life with her writing.  Annie has a good heart and loves to help others, David also has a big heart and opens it to allow a little Englisch girl who is dying with leukemia into his world.  
What I didn't like about this book:  Leah, Annie's sister-in-law is so harsh, I just wanted to shake her good.  I was happy that Luke straightened her up. It was hard to read the little girl's story too, it breaks my heart that little children have to suffer with diseases like cancer. 
My final thoughts:  This was a book I could not stop reading until the end of the book.  I loved it!  Kelly Irvin writes stories that make you feel like you know the characters personally!  332 pages US $13.99 5 stars
This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review.